January 10, X774 Heartfilia Mansion — Lucy's Room
Two years had slipped by in the blink of an eye.
At seven years old, Lucy Heartfilia was no longer the fragile child she appeared to be. For the past twenty-four months, she had lived a double life of grueling refinement, honing her combat skills and mastering her Water Dragon Slayer Magic.
Curiously, she had even managed to manifest the Star Dress forms. Despite her mother's servants still holding her Celestial Keys—preventing any formal contracts—Lucy found that the echoes of her past life sufficed. The bond with her spirits was etched into her very soul, allowing her to channel their power directly into her body without the need for a physical medium.
"It's convenient," Lucy muttered, checking her reflection, "but I really hope the Celestial Spirit King doesn't notice."
She sighed, her expression turning somber. "No matter how you look at it, using a Star Dress without an official contract is way too suspicious."
Focusing her mind, she reached out through the mental ether.
'Rolotia, can you hear me?'
'I hear you, Lucy,' the goddess's voice echoed back, sounding slightly relieved. 'And I see you've finally learned to use Telepathy instead of summoning me physically just to chat.'
Lucy rolled her eyes. 'Oh, come on. I just didn't want to hear you complaining again.'
'You must understand, Lucy,' Rolotia replied, her tone dripping with unamused dignity, 'a Goddess is not as "free" as you seem to think.'
'Okay, okay, I get it!' Lucy countered, her mental voice rising in frustration. 'But seriously, your training methods are brutal! I've spent two years on the brink of death fighting those monsters you kept spawning at Fuji Hill!'
She could practically feel Rolotia smirking on the other end. 'Well, you didn't expect the path to power to be easy, did you~?'
Lucy let out a long, audible groan. "Give me a break..."
It wasn't an exaggeration. Rolotia had been a relentless taskmaster, summoning endless waves of monsters without a second's pause. In the beginning, Lucy had protested the recklessness of it all, but Rolotia would only smile. It was the kind of smile that made one's blood run cold—a divine aura that brooked no argument.
"Anyway," Lucy said, returning to the present problem. "How am I supposed to leave without my parents or the servants getting suspicious?"
"Leave that to me~"
A shimmering light flickered in the center of the room. As it faded, a perfect double of Lucy stood before her. It was an exact physical replica, though it remained eerily silent.
Lucy stared at her twin for a long moment, her face deadpan. "Honestly, Rolotia... I'm starting to wonder what kind of Goddess you actually are."
Is she sure she isn't the Goddess of Life? To create a vessel like this so easily...
"Don't worry about the small details~ 😇😅" Rolotia chirped.
"And now you're using my expressions..." 😑
"Anyway! Let's tuck this 'Other Lucy' into bed. Everyone will just think you're having a long nap."
With a nod, Lucy helped settle her double under the covers. With the alibi set, she adjusted her gear, ready to depart—only to realize she was missing one crucial piece of information.
"Um... Rolotia? Where exactly is the Bureau of Magical Development?" 😅
"It's located in the Land of Isvan."
Lucy blinked. "Wait, Gray's homeland?"
"The very same. I'm sending the coordinates to your mind now."
A sharp pulse of information hit Lucy's consciousness, mapping out a location leagues away. "Wow... that's far."
"Well, you have Aqua Aera, don't you? My blessing wasn't just for show," Rolotia reminded her. "Also, please change your appearance. A seven-year-old girl traveling alone is a magnet for the wrong kind of attention."
"I know, I know."
With a surge of magic, Lucy's form began to shift and stretch. In seconds, the child was gone, replaced by a fifteen-year-old young woman with striking silver hair. she wore a Heart Kreuz outfit paired with a simple white skirt.
"Okay. This should work." Lucy took a deep breath. "Let's go to Isvan."
Drawing upon her Water Dragon Slayer Magic and her innate understanding of Spatial Magic—which shared the same fundamental concepts as Celestial Magic—Lucy traced a circle in the air.
"Aqua Aera!"
Water swirled into a shimmering, transparent veil, tearing a hole through space. On the other side of the portal, the cold peaks and the silhouette of the Bureau of Magical Development came into view.
Without looking back, Lucy Heartfilia stepped through.